A voltage regulator is a device designed to automatically provide a relatively constant voltage level. A variety of designs can be utilized for voltage regulators including feed forward designs and control loops. Voltage regulators can also utilize electrical components and/or electromechanical components.
Voltage regulators are used in a variety of devices. They are used in power supplies to stabilize DC voltages utilized by circuits and processers. Voltage regulators are also utilized in power distribution systems to provide power at needed or usable voltage levels.
A variety of characteristics are important to the operation of voltage regulators. These include reliability, power consumption, voltage regulation performance, stability, and the like. Often, improving one characteristic is done at the expense of another.